Hitachi Nailers win iF Design Awards

Hitachi Power Tools has been awarded two iF design awards for its First Fix and Framing Nailers Li-ion battery cordless nailers, for which users do not need an air hose, or fuel gas cartridges.

The 2018 iF award is the 11th award for the company in six consecutive years.

Unlike traditional framing nailers that use gas fuel cells, the Hitachi NR1890DBCL/JP is powered by a lightweight, rechargeable 5.0 Ah Li-ion battery, banishing the costly replacement of fuel cells. The use of batteries also means the days of keeping gas fuel cells warm in a pocket, or dragging a compressor and hose out for every job are over, Hitachi said, adding that this quiet, powerful and efficient nailer matches the performance of a gas nailer, without the fuss.

The NR1890DBCL/JP features a highly efficient brushless motor, driving up to two nails per second and has a capacity to carry 47 nails at a time. The NR1890DBCL/JP comes with two 5.0Ah Li-Ion batteries (charge time of just 75 minutes per battery) and fires up to 700 nails per charge. The air/spring drive system means less recoil, better flush driving and easier maintenance, while the highly stable driving power allows the nailer to drive nails up to 90mm into lumber with ease.

Meanwhile, the NT1850DBSL/JM brad nailer can drive up to 1650 brads per charge while the NT1865DBSL/JM 18V straight finish nailer and NT1865DBAL/JM 18V angled finish nailer can drive up to 1500 and 1100 nails per charge respectively. A simple push button switches between sequential or bump fire mode.

All of these tougher, faster and more advanced nailers come with LED work light, low battery indicator and a handy adjustable joist hook. A lock switch and a 30 minute automatic shutdown feature increase safety and promotes longer battery life. Adjustment of the drive depth and nose release, for quick and easy jam clearance, is simple and tool free. Subject to terms and conditions, the award winning nailers carry a three year warranty once registered within two weeks of purchase.

Hitachi is rebranding as HiKOKI this year, following the acquisition by KKR in 2017. There’s more on the move in our interview here.

I joined Torque as Editor with over a decade’s experience in publishing. I’ve worked as Editor across two different B2B magazines in the past 10 years and in more junior publishing roles before then, including advert copywriting and a stint at a local newspaper. Prior to Torque, I’ve written for the bicycle sector and the video games industry.